Sharing ideas - developing wikis (primary)/Resource: Difference between revisions

= Sharing ideas: developing wikis =

= Course information =

* a computer with a web browser

* a class/group of pupils – groups could be within classes, whole classes, or groups across classes (e.g. clubs) and schools (e.g. clusters of schools or in collaborative projects).

'''Professional and reflective practitioner skills'''

* incorporate the use of a wiki with learners in their school and subject contexts as appropriate

* reflect on, and discuss, the impact of the use of a wiki on learning.

'''Practical skills'''

* edit a wiki page

* select a wiki tool appropriate for intended use  

'''Knowledge and understanding'''

* that you know what a wiki is

* that you know what wikis may be used for in education

'''Cognitive skills'''

* critically review the use of wikis in educational contexts and share these reviews with others

* discuss different ways in which wikis might be used in learning contexts in schools.

Vital courses are based on a cycle of professional reflective practice as shown in the diagram below.

This cycle draws on, and develops, personal and professional knowledge bases. The latter may be seen in the literature, resources, policies and other materials that are used to inform practice.

So what is a wiki? A wiki is a website for sharing and developing ideas, materials, plans etc. Any page of the website can be changed by anyone (sometimes usernames and passwords are needed, sometimes edits can be anonymous). Only one person can edit any one page at one time but as soon as they have finished and saved, anyone else can then edit it.

30 minutes the first week of the course (online)

Thinking about the features of a wiki shown in the video, note down any first ideas of how you could use a wiki in your teaching.  

E-safety is an issue to be considered whenever young people use the Internet. In this part of the course you will think about how a wiki can be used safely and ethically. This is particularly important given that anyone can edit any page on a wiki - but only if they have been given permission.

1 hour (online/private study) during weeks one and two of the course

The objective of this course activity is to begin to understand some of the issues and options you have to ensure a safe use of a wiki.

What would you do as a teacher to enhance the safe use of wikis?  

Note down your answers and then look at the discussion that follows.

= Exploring wikis =

Wikis are gaining popularity with teachers who recognise its power as a creative and collaborative tool. Teachers are exploring ways of integrating them into their teaching and learning. Some are sharing examples of pupil work, others are encouraging pupils to contribute to a class wiki.  

Activity 4 gives you a chance to explore some examples of how teachers and school advisers are using wikis.  However, as pointed out in the e-safety section, teachers may decide to hide from view what their classes are doing so the best uses may well be hidden!

1 hour (online) during weeks one and two of the course for each part of the activity (2 hours total)

* look at some existing wikis that are used for learning and teaching

* share thoughts about how they are being used.

= Thinking about structure =

Wikis, like any other website can have different structures to suit different contexts. These range from a single web page to a series of linked web pages both of which can be edited by individuals or groups of people.  

The structure of any wiki used in a learning context may well be derived from the way in which learning is structured in classrooms – using groups and tasks to be represented on pages for example. On the other hand the use of a wiki allows for learning and sharing to go on over time, not constrained by ‘the lesson or session’, and to go on over space not strained by the physical buildings.

Figure 1 Hierarchical, with a main menu page, all can edit any page. Pages maybe organised by activity, topic etc.

The objective of this course activity is to look for ideas for the use of wikis in learning and teaching that match your interest and area of expertise.

You can use these examples to generate ideas help you with planning your own use of wikis in the classroom.

If you know of other examples please add them to the index page.

In this part of the course you will think about the ways in which a wiki might be used for learning and teaching in your context and share your plans with others. You will also be guided to a range of software tools to help create a wiki and select the most suitable tool for your teaching and learning purposes.  

The objective of this course activity is to understand some of the theoretical and research-informed models behind the use of wikis in teaching and learning.

Read the following articles and highlight any key points that appear pertinent to your context. You will use these points in your planning in the next activity.

The objective of this course activity is to produce a plan for the use of wikis in your classroom.

Having discussed this with others, complete a planning sheet for your own use.

Once you have completed the planning sheet you should post it in the forum for others to help refine your ideas.

2 hours (online) during week three of the course

Having planned the way in which you will use the wiki in your classroom you now need to carry out your plan. In this part of the course you will spend time in your school and reflect on the impact of the use of a wiki on the learning and teaching. At a practical level you will observe what the learners did with the wiki and what conclusions and recommendations you would make for others. You will discuss this in the forum after you have carried out your plan.

Up to 5 hours in the classroom during weeks four to seven of the course. This will be carried out in school. You will be reporting back in three weeks.

2 hours online, during the eighth, and final, week of the course.

The objective of this course activity is to share reflections and feedback with others.

To what extent were those gains achieved? How do you know? What evidence can you provide? Go to the forum to discuss these questions.

'''Professional Standards'''

The use of wikis in learning and teaching will provide you with evidence that may be useful when considering the Professional Standards for teaching. You will have collected evidence from planning through to your notes and evaluation to discussion in the forum. Such evidence may be useful to you when demonstrating ways in which you have met the Standards.

1 hour online during the eighth, and final, week of the course.

The reflective practitioner cycle is based on developing the professional knowledge base. We have now come to the end of the personal reflection phase and are to develop a common understanding of what we have learnt. We will share the key learning points as a group so that these may be collated and added to the community knowledge.  

Videos